Waler corner coupler



Oct. 2 9, 1963 c. M. JAHN WALER CORNER COUPLER Filed Nov. 30, 1961 INVENTOR.

CARL M c/AH/V V W A TTOR/VEY United States Patent 3,108,793 WALER CORNER COUPLER Carl M. Jahn, 2640 St. Paul 5L, Denver, Colo. Filed Nov. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 156,070 3 Claims. (Cl. 269-122) This invention relates to the art and practice of constructing forms conventionally utilized for the reception and transient retention of plastic cement and concrete mixtures, and more particularly to such art and practice as distinguished by the use of spacedly-parallel, generallyllorizontal walers detachably clamped in reinforcing relation against the exterior face area of the form, and has as an object to provide a novel and improved facility useful to operatively intercouple coplanar, perpendicularly-related such walers at and for reinforcement of corner angles of the form.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved waler corner coupler that is applicable to detachably conjoin coplanar, perpendicularly-related, horizontal form walers at the salient corners of a form wall with facility and dispatch conservative of time and labor expense.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved waler corner coupler that is applicable to detachably conjoin coplanar, perpendicularly-related, horizontal forrn walers at the salient corners of a form wall with clamped security of reinforcing effect.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved waler corner coupler that is repetitiously applicable to and removable from positions of use at the salient corners of a form Wall Without recourse to special tools and extraneous agencies.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved waler corner coupler that is amenable to advance conditioning for subsequent immediate availability and repetitious use as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved waler corner coupler that is unitary in an organization precluding separation of its elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved waler corner coupler that is susceptible of advance conditioning for subsequent use as the terminal component of a unitary assembly repetitiously employable without occasion for addition, removal, or separation of elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and operative correlation of elements constituting a waler corner coupler of high practicality and unique efficiency.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved waler corner coupler that is simple and economical of production in a wide range of preferred sizes, strengths, and capacities; that is expediently adaptable to various use applications; that is rugged and durable to attainment of prolonged availability for repetitious use under the adverse conditions whereto it is commonly subject; and that is positive and etllcient in accomplishing the functions for which it is designed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and operative combination of elements as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, isometric, elevational view of a salient corner of a typical form wall as consolidated and reinforced in accordance with the principles of the invention by means of two, reversely-applied, units of the improved coupler.

FIGU R-E 2 is an isometric view, on a relatively-enlarged scale, of the waler corner coupler unit of the invention separate and apart from any and all elements of the form.

FIGURE 3 is a section longitudinally through the organization according to FIGURE 2 taken substantially on the indicated line 33 of the latter view.

It is common and wide-spread practice in the construction field to organize forms for the reception and retention of cement and concrete mixtures as spacedly-parallel, up-right walls comprised from coplanar, edge-abutted sheets or panels 10 spacedly interlinked by terminallyheaded tie-rods 1.1 mounting brackets 12 exteriorly of the wall disposed to seat and support horizontal waler timbers I13 to bear directly against the wall in clamped, reinforcing relation therewith under the influence of cam detents 14 coactable between and to separate each said bracket 12 and the terminal head of the associated tie-rod 11. It is expedient, and usual, to frame the rightangular, salient corners of the so-organized forms through abutting, marginal registration of perpendicularly-related sheets or panels 10 in an arrangement, typified by FIG- URE 1, precluding feasible use of the tie-rods 11 to secure the resulting marginal joint at the vertex of the corner angle, and it is similarly expedient, and usual, to align the corresponding horizontal successions of tie-rods 11, and associated brackets 12, at each side of the corner in a common horizontal plane for consequent coplanar disposition of the walers 13 applied thereto in a correlation accommodating perpendicular intersection of waler projections and extensions beyond the corner. Thus, security of the form joint at the vertex of the salient corner angle being essential and the environment established by the practice of form organization above described including walers longitudinally extensible to perpendicular intersection in exterior embracing relation with the form corner, the instant invention is directed to the provision of means applicable to couple the walers coplanarly supported at each side of the corner with a clamping effect reliable to close and secure the joint.

Fabricated and furnished in a particularity of dimension and proportion appropriate for coaction as hereinafter set forth with any preferred size of conventional waler timber 13, the coupler of the invention is cont-rived from a length of rigid, flat, strip material, such as sheet metal, having a Width approximating the width, or major lateral dimension, of the timber 13 wherewith it is to function and a length several times as great as its width. The strip blank primary to production of the coupler is transversely bent and formed to provide a laterally-open stirrup portion defined between spacedly-parallel, compl ementary plates :15 and 15a of unequal length interconnected by an inclined web 16 closing an end of the stirrup with its plane angularly acute relative to the plate 15 to effect substantial registration of the spaced other ends of said plates 15 and 15a, and integral, flat tangs 17 and 17a respectively terminating said plates 15 and 15a in a spaced parallelism established by a slight oifset of each said tang inwardly from the plane of its associated plate marked and occasioned by opposed transverse shoulders 18 at the conjunctions thereof. For intended use in association with conventional walers 13 of preferred uniform transverse dimensions, the coupler is sized and proportioned to form from a strip blank substantially width-coextensive with the preferred waler a stirrup portion adapted to loosely embrace and shifitably accommodate a length of the preferred waler characterized by a separation of the plates 15 and 15a slightly exceeding the thickness of the waler and a length of the shorter plate 15a between the web 16 and its shoulder 1-8 slightly exceeding the width of the waler, a length of tang 17 and 17a extension from said stirrup portion desirably exceeding the strip width, and a separation of said tangs approximating the thickness of the waler, whereby said tangs are adapted to engage over and confine an end of a waler length to mount the coupler as a longitudinal extension thereof with the stirrup portion opening in registration with the Width dimension laterally thereacross, in which mounting on and as an extension from the end of the waler the coupler is conditioned to be detachaibly secured by means of fasteners, such as bolts 19, applied through registered holes 20 formed in the tangs 17 and 17a, and through the thickness of the waler therebetween, to securely interclamp said elements.

Inwardly adjacent the web 16 the plates 15 and 15a are centrally apertured to expose the inclined inner face of the web for sliding coaction with the base wall of a longitudinally-tapered, transversely U-shaped Wedge member 21 reciprocable through and generally perpendicular to said plates with the free margins of the side flanges of the. wedge member directed inwardly of the stirrup portion of the coupler, and a retainer 22 intrudes from attachment to the web 16 through an elongated slot 23 longitudinally intersecting the base wall of the member 21 to slidably relate said base wall with the inner face of the web 16 and to inhibit separation of the member 21 from its reciprocable accommodation through the plates "15 and 15a. Tapered to complement the inclination of the Web 1 6 relative to the plates 15 and 15a, the member 21 is reoiprocable in its mounting on said web to advance and to retract the free margins of its side flanges relative to the stirrup portion opening laterally of the coupler, as indicated by the showing of FIGURE 3, and is so proportioned and arranged as to effect shift of the free margins of its side flanges in maintained perpendicular relation with the plates 15 and 15a to and,

away from gripping engagement with the edge of a waler received through the stirrup portion within the range of member reciprocation provided. Structurally complete and functionally adequate as thus far described, the

are operated to clamp the associated waler to the form wall, the wedge member 21 of the coupler is raised and the waler carrying the coupler simultaneously shifted longitudinally on its bracket support to engagement of the free margins of the side flanges of said member against the edge of the waler traversing the stirrup opening, the detents 14 of the brackets supporting the waler carrying the coupler are then operated to clamp said waler to the form wall, and the member 21 is then driven with wedging effect against the waler traversing the stirrup of the coupler and to gripping engagement of the margins of the member side flanges in and with the edge of the waler whereto they are opposed, thus :to firmly secure and clamp the corner joint established by the abutting margins of the sheets or panels 10. While the bite of the side flange edges of the member 21 on the edge of the waler thereby engaged is usually adequate to inhibit any shift of the coupler outwardly along the waler traversing its stirrup portion, the slots 24- are available for the introduction therethrough of supplementary fasteners resistive of such displacement, when and as deemed to be expedient. Symmetrical wi-th respect to the longitudinal median plane vertical in position of use, the improved coupler is applicable with identical function and advantage at either side of a salient form corner and hence is readily adaptable to alternative disposition at successive levels of waler placement, as typified by FIGURE 1.

Since changes, variations, and modifications in the form, construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims,

3 rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and coupler may be conditioned for occasionally-desirable,

enhanced security of use application through the provision of elongated slots 24- inte-rsecting the plates 15 and 15a in registration centrally and longitudinally thereof for a purpose hereinafter explained.

Organized as shown and described in appropriate dimensional correlation with the size of conventional waler 1 3 suited to a given form construction, the coupler of the invention is simple and practical of use to secure salient corners of the form with marked conservation of labor and materials. Supplied as a unit including the shiftablyforegoing description.

I claim as my invention:

1. A waler corner coupler comprising a rigid, U-shaped stirnlp having spacedly-parallel side plates conjoined by an end web conformed to loosely and transversely embrace a waler timber longitudinally adjustable therethrough, complementary tang continuations of said side plates spaced apart in parallel to receive and confine an end of a second waler timber therebetween, means for securing said tang continuations in overlying. attachment to the end of said second waler timber, whereby to mount said stirrup on and as a laterally-opening, longitudinal projection from the end of the second waler timber, aper tures transversely central of said side plates opening in registration therethrough to the inner face of the conjoining end web, and a longitudinally-tapered wedg-ing detent reciprocable perpendicular to said side plates in and through said apertures in slidabIy-retained coaction with i said inner face of the end Web for reaction against the j waler timber embraced by the stirrup.

out obstruction of the opening through the stirrup portion of the coupler in the manner and by the means above set forth being desirably had for provision of a supply of couplers attached ready for use at any convenient location remote from the site of form erection and well in advance of occasion for their use. The sheets or panels 10 defining a salient form corner having been placed in operative association with the tie-rods 11 and brackets 12, a waler length carrying the coupler as a terminal extension is seated on a pair of the brackets 12 with the stirrup portion of the coupler projected beyond the form corner, a perpendicularly-related waler supported on the coplanar succession of brackets at the other side of the corner is end-entered through the opening of the stirrup portion of the positioned coupler as the member 21 is raised to facilitate such insertion, the detents 14 of the brackets supporting the waler entered through the coupler 2. A waler corner coupler comprising a rigid, U-shaped stirrup having spacedly-parallel side plates conjoined by an end web oblique to the planes thereof and conformed to loosely and transversely embrace a waler timber longitudinally adjustable therethrough, complementary tang con-tinuations of said side plates spaced apart in parallel to receive and confine an end of a second waler timber therebetween, means for securing said tang continuations in overlying attachment to the end of said second waler timber, whereby to mount said stirrup on and as a laterally-opening, longitudinal projection from the end of the second waler timber, apertures transversely central of said side plates opening in registration therethrough to the inner face of the oblique end web, and a wedging detent tapered in conformity with the angular correlation of said end web and side plates reciprocable in and through said apertures in such bearing coaotion with the inner face of the end web as to present a surface perpendicular to the side plates for reaction against the waler timber embraced by the stirrup.

3. The organization according to claim 2., wherein said wedging detent is slidably retained on the end web and 3,108,793 5 6 is formed with longitudinal side flanges establishing the References Cited in the file of this patent surface presented for reaction against the waler tirniber UNITED STATES PATENTS embraced by the stirrup, whereby wedging action of the detent efiieotive between the embraced waler timber and 3 McMillan e 1927 1,590,033 Kefier June 22, 1926 the oblique end web of the stump inhibits 1ong1tud1nal 5 1704 307 S moms Mar 5 1929 shift of the embraced timber relative to the stirrup. y

1,842,684 Markham Jan. 26, 1932 

1. A WALER CORNER COUPLER COMPRISING A RIGID, U-SHAPED STIRRUP HAVING SPACEDLY-PARALLEL SIDE PLATES CONJOINED BY AN END WEB CONFORMED TO LOOSELY AND TRANSVERSELY EMBRACE A WALER TIMBER LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLE THERETHROUGH, COMPLEMENTARY TANG CONTINUATIONS OF SAID SIDE PLATES SPACED APART IN PARALLEL TO RECEIVE AND CONFINE AN END OF A SECOND WALER TIMBER THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR SECURING SAID TANG CONTINUATIONS IN OVERLYING ATTACHMENT TO THE END OF SAID SECOND WALER TIMBER, WHEREBY TO MOUNT SAID STIRRUP ON AND AS A LATERALLY-OPENING, LONGITUDINAL PROJECTION FROM THE END OF THE SECOND WALER TIMBER, APERTURES TRANSVERSELY CENTRAL OF SAID SIDE PLATES OPENING IN REGISTRATION THERETHROUGH TO THE INNER FACE OF THE CONJOINING END WEB, AND A LONGITUDINALLY-TAPERED WEDGING DETENT RECIPROCABLE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SIDE PLATES IN AND THROUGH SAID APERTURES IN SLIDABLY-RETAINED COACTION WITH SAID INNER FACE OF THE END WEB FOR REACTION AGAINST THE WALER TIMBER ENBRACED BY THE STIRRUP. 